Klarinet Archive - Posting 000740.txt from 1996/02

From: niethamer@-----.BITNET
Subj: Re: Daily Warm-up/A Clarinet
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 1996 22:02:48 -0500

On Sat, 24 Feb 1996 kp6185a@-----.EDU wrote:

> Teri Herel said
> >I like to spend nearly as much time on the A as the B-flat. I tend to
> >alternate: One day I'll do all of my warmups on the A, the next on the
> >B-flat. I find that if I don't, the A begins to feel awkward. I know
> >when I've reached the right balance when I will honestly occasionally
> >forget which instrument I'm playing on.

I too like to spend equal time with both, which for me means doing most
of my warmup and technical practice on the A. The exception is breaking
in new reeds, which I do on Bb to make sure I don't adjust the reed to be
too soft on the A and too easy and bright on the Bb.

> I just started playing with my new A clarinet on Friday (it and my
> B-flat are R13s) and I am finding that I need a higher quality of reed
> on my A than I need on my B-flat (in other words, a barely passable
> read on the B-flat won't pass on the A).

Some reeds which feel OK on Bb are too stuffy on A, because in spite of
our best efforts to pick compatable Bb and A clarinets, the extra length
of the A creates a bit more resistance. *After* I've adjusted a reed and
broken it in on Bb, I make sure it works on A too. It's a good check to
be sure I really have finished adjusting the reed.

> Is this normal? ANY suggestions on getting used to the wider spacing
> and everything else on the A Clarinet? I have to be able to get through
> a 2 hour orchestra rehersal featuring All Ravel and All A Clarinet music
> (I've been transposing it for the last 5 or 6 rehersals) and a 1 hr
> chamber music rehersal of Brahms' Clarinet Quintet, Op. 115 on Tuesday.
>
> I need help getting adjusted fast. I don't want to sound worse on the A
> than I do when I'm transposing.

I'm not sure you'll be able to get completely adjusted so fast. Not only
is the A a little different than you're accustomed to from your Bb, but a
*new* clarinet of any flavor will change as you play it in. I'm not sure
I'd recommend many hours of daily play on a new instrument just for the
long term health of the instrument. Maybe some of the repair gurus can
comment on an appropriate break-in regimen for a new clarinet.

Good luck!

David Niethamer